WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson women's basketball head coach
Jina DeRubbo earned her 400th career win as the Presidents cruised past Chatham by an 86-53 score at the Henry Memorial Center.
DeRubbo, in her 14th season as W&J's head coach, is in her 21st overall season as a college head coach after spending her first seven seasons at fellow Presidents' Athletic Conference institution Bethany. She has amassed a 269-117 (.697) record in Washington after posting a 131-52 (.716) mark at Bethany, giving her a career record of 400-169 (.703). She becomes the first basketball coach -- men's or women's -- in PAC history to reach 400 coaching wins entirely as a PAC and NCAA Division III member.
The Presidents started hot and left little doubt that it would be the day for DeRubbo's milestone mark, shooting 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the floor in the first quarter and building a 26-16 lead. The second period was much of the same as W&J cooled off slightly -- just 8-of-16 for 50 percent in the period -- but Chatham did the same by shooting just 13.3 percent (2-of-15) to help W&J build a 47-23 halftime lead.
W&J concluded the game with a 55.7 shooting percent (34-of-61) from the field, while also making seven three-pointers, the fifth time hitting at least seven triples in a game this season.
Lauren Gilbert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) tied for the game high with 15 points on 7-of-11 from the field, while
Amirah Moore (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) added 13 points (on 5-of-7 from the floor and 3-for-3 at the free-throw line) and
Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) tallied a season-best 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. The trio of
Taley Dunaway (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe),
Mia Woytovich (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi) and
Danielle Parker (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) each recorded eight points and hit on a pair of three-pointers.
W&J used 11 steals to force 20 Chatham turnovers, which it turned into 33 points. Seto had a game-high four steals, while Moore, Parker and Woytovich each had two. Parker and
Maria Lawhorne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) tied for the game lead with six rebounds apiece. Parker's five assists also led all players and tied her career high (last versus Allegheny on Nov. 22, 2016).
The victory pushes the Presidents to 12-1 on the season, thanks to a 6-0 record in PAC action and 5-0 mark at home. Next on the schedule is a match-up at DeRubbo's former school, Bethany, in West Virginia at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Highlights:
Woytovich opens the game with a three-pointer:
Moore hits a mid-range jumper and gets fouled:
Moore shows off the extra mid-range work she put in in the offseason:
Seto gets a steal and breakaway layup late in the game:
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